


Above, Below, and In Between

by inkwells_writing



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angel England (Hetalia), Angst with a Happy Ending, Demon America (Hetalia), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Sweet Devil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-09-30 10:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17222633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkwells_writing/pseuds/inkwells_writing
Summary: Arthur is an angel. All he wants is to do his job without interruption, but when a demon begins to pester him, it begins to get harder and harder to work in a timely fashion. Arthur knows it’s wrong, but he finds himself drawn to the demon.





	1. Above the Clouds

“Hello.”

Arthur nearly groaned audibly. Demons were always a minor nuisance, but this one had been pestering him for weeks.

Didn’t he understand he wasn’t interested in talking to him? What did the demon even want from him?

“It’s rude to ignore people. Aren’t you angels all about being nice?”

“We’re ‘all about’ not committing sins. Ignoring an idiot isn’t a sin.”

The demon moved into Arthur’s line of sight. He huffed and shifted his body so he could still see the human he was watching, but being sure to keep the demon in sight. 

“Gosh, you’re just so mean. You won’t even tell me your name.”

“If I tell you my name, will you leave me alone today? I’m trying to do my job.” He lifted his arrow and aimed, closing one eye as he aimed at the blonde man standing next to his target.

Not taking the hint, the demon continued on. “You’re a cupid, right? What’s it like determining who someone loves?” The demon ran a finger alone his arrow, following it up towards Arthur’s hand until he yanked away with a huff.

“You made me miss my shot, so thanks for that. I’m going to be in trouble if I don’t meet my quota, you know. Besides, my arrows don’t make people fall in love. They just plant the idea.”

“So a crush, huh? You know, down Below we have demons like that.” Arthur tried to ignore the demon as he stepped closer, instead focusing on notching another arrow and lifting it- “But instead of innocent little crushes, they stir up other, deeper feelings that-”

“That’s it. I’m done.” The hand on his hip was a final straw. He ignored the demon as he stepped backwards, laughing. “I’d appreciate it if you left me alone after this.” He slung his bow over his back and shook his wings out, getting ready to call it a day and fly back up when the demon spoke up, his tone sobered now.

“Aw, hey, I’m just messing with you. Besides, you got a quota, right?”

Arthur relaxed slightly, no longer ready to take off, “Yes, but I can’t accomplish it if you keep bothering me.”

The demon tilted his head, his black hair falling in front of his glasses, “Don’t you get in trouble if you don’t meet it?”

“How do you know so much about our system?”

“I’m observant.” When Arthur snorted, the demon huffed. “If I be quiet and sit down to let you shoot that guy so you can meet your quota, will you talk with me for a minute?”

Arthur hesitated. On one hand, he wouldn’t get in trouble, but on the other hand, the demon hadn’t seemed to make an effort to actually talk to him before, only to pester. Was he up to something?

But, he really couldn’t afford to miss his quota, so he sighed and agreed, “I still have another person after this, but I suppose if you actually are quiet it can’t hurt to answer a few questions. But I won’t answer them if I don’t like them.”

“What! That’s so not fair! Then you could just not answer any of them.” It was peculiar to see a demon pout, but there really wasn’t another name for what he was doing with his arms crossed and his mouth a deep frown. 

No matter what expression the demon was making, he wasn’t going to make a promise that he’d regret. “Then I’ll leave.”

He barely took a step before the demon called out, “No! Fine, you can say no. It’ll be rude if you don’t answer any of them, though.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and pulled the scroll that contained his next target on it from the aether where it resided when unneeded. “Follow me, I suppose.”

It was weird to have the demon watching him as he worked. Normally he’d be making a commotion and be a huge nuisance, but Arthur supposed even demons know when to calm down sometimes. The demon didn’t speak once, simply watched intently as Arthur followed his target before spotting a good possible partner. He knocked an arrow, aiming intently from where he stood, unseen, atop a roof. Releasing the arrow, it soared true into its intended. A faint smile lifted his lips, just slightly, as he watched the young man he hit blush a little and rub the back of his neck. 

He’d picked well.

“Hey! You’re done now! Now, you owe me a conversation.” The demon stood from where he’d been leaning against the roof.

“I am a man of my word,” He huffed out as he turned to face the demon.

Stepping towards Arthur, he demon smiled, “First things first. If we’re gonna have a conversation I need your name. I’ll start, because you probably forgot mine from when I first introduced myself. I’m Alfred!”

He hadn’t forgotten, but he frowned and stepped away hesitantly anyways, “You know it’s not smart to give out your name, right?”

“Oh, come on. That’s just a myth they spread to keep angels and demons from talking. Come on, I just wanna know your name! I’m not asking for like, your exact age and where you live and how to infiltrate Heaven and all that.”

Fuck it. Arthur had been a good angel, he’d followed the rules and listened to every instruction. What was one little name? “You may call me Arthur, I suppose.”

“That suits you.”

“What?”

The demon- no, Alfred- sighed, “This isn’t a comfortable place to have a conversation, is it? Come on, there’s a park nearby, I think. Let’s go there.” Alfred stood and made his way to the edge of the roof before turning back to Arthur, who hadn’t moved. “Oh, really? It’s not like I’m telling you to go down to Hell with me. It’s a park.”

Arthur didn’t deign him with an answer. Instead he began to follow him, wings fluttering as he hopped off the roof and began to walk. As convenient as flying could be, walking was often a better way to travel, especially in the city. 

“So, Arthur, do you like being a little cupid?”

He groaned, “Really? That’s the question you’ve been pestering me for weeks to answer?”

“I have other questions!” Alfred sounded defensive as he raised his hands up. His legs were long, and Arthur had to pick up the pace to keep up. “I just thought it’d be better to ask the easy ones first.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes. Is that a satisfactory answer?” 

“You sure don’t sound like you like it. You so weren’t enthusiastic just now.”

Arthur forced his mouth into a sharp and over-dramatic smile and called out, “I love it!” He flattened his look, “Is that better?”

Alfred huffed and elbowed him, causing Arthur to stumble sideways in surprise at being touched, “You’re so mean. You’re not like other angels.”

Arthur’s steady pace broke slightly. He didn’t know why his words were so shocking to hear. Maybe he’s began to feel like he was special- after all the demon had picked him to pester. Sure, he didn’t  _ like _ being annoyed. But it was different.

His words just reminded him he was one in a million- well, actually, one in an infinite number of angels who were all just doing their jobs and following the rules laid out for them. He wasn't special. He wasn’t supposed to be. No angel was allowed to be. 

“I’m exactly like the other angels. Don’t insinuate otherwise. Honestly, I shouldn’t even be talking to you- I’m probably breaking a hundred rules right now.”

Alfred snorted, “Don’t be boring. Come on, isn’t it fun to talk to someone?”

Arthur ignored that question and continued walking. 

“Fine, don’t answer that one. I’ll think of something else.” The demon hummed, “Oh! I’ve got it! What in your life made you become an cupid?”

Arthur stopped walking. “What?”

Alfred turned and looked at him, head cocking to the side, “You know, the reasoning behind you being a cupid? Like was it a lover you devoted yourself to? Or were you alone a bunch and envied couples a little, so now you bring others together, like, to give them what you missed and stuff?”

Arthur squinted at Alfred, “Is this a trick question?”

“No?” Alfred sounded genuinely confused, making Arthur pause.

“We don’t remember our lives. No one does when they pass on. It makes us equal to those who were created without being human.” Arthur had assumed the same went for demons- no one was supposed to even try and seek out people who may have known them when they were alive. It was a sin to do so.

A harsh frown graced Alfred feature, “That’s fucked up.”

He stepped back quickly, unused to such anger from the normally docile demon, “What?”

“You’re supposed to know who you were- it gives your job purpose, and- hey! Wait!”

His call was too late. Arthur was already in the air, flying up and up. Into the clouds. He ignored Alfred’s attempts to call him back. His words… the question he had asked. They were too close to being  _ wrong _ . He was pushing Arthur towards thinking something dangerous, and Arthur wasn’t about to let himself get in trouble for something as avoidable as talking to a demon.

So he fled. 

He fled like a coward. 

But he hadn’t left soon enough, Arthur was quick to realize.

After reaching the Land Above the Clouds, Arthur checked in his quota, making note of the humans he matched together. Walking quickly past the other angels, not sparing them a second glance as they did the same to him, he made his way to the room he considered his home. 

With a sigh, he opened the door, slipping inside and locking the door behind himself. He gave the bland room a tired sweep of his eyes, and a thought slipped past his carefully constructed wall.

_ If I had been a human, what kind of room would I have had? _

No. He wasn’t supposed to think about who he may have been had he been human once. If he was or wasn’t human- it didn’t matter. He was an angel now, that’s what mattered.

That’s all that could matter.

He’d have to redouble his efforts to avoid Alfred- No. He’d have to redouble his efforts to avoid the  _ demon _ . 

 

The next time it was time for Arthur to go Earth-side and meet a new quota, he was careful. He flew down slowly, going to a city on the other side of the world from last time. It was raining here, impairing his vision only slightly. He’d still be able to hit the people he needed to, he’d just be a little more careful.

Slowly, he looked around at the people walking to and fro. This place was crowded, busy, and impersonal. Lonely people were everywhere- he needed to change that. 

There. 

Aditya Patel, 31. 

He needed to find a partner for the young man, he needed to find someone who would make him happy and whom he would make even happier.

He scanned the ground, looking around for someone who would fit the personality he was quickly getting a feel for by looking at the young man and-

There. 

Taylor Unilti, 29. 

Together, their brightest future would bring them an adopted girl and three dogs. Arthur saw the two of them helping each other advance in their careers, and picking each other up when they fell.

Their darkest future ended in drinking and a harsh divorce.

Their most mundane, but most likely future, would bring them a son, a cat, and Aditya’s parents living with them in their older years. They would be stressed, but happy.

Arthur considered the risk and found it worth it.

He knocked an arrow, closing one eye and aiming carefully, holding his bow steady and making sure to account for the wind that was picking up. He let out a soft breath as the arrow flew, straight and true. 

Taylor stumbled forwards, only just being caught by Aditya, who blushed and giggled awkwardly. They began to chat as the waited for the bus to arrive. A small smile graced Arthur’s features as he watched them chat politely, and when Taylor’s bus arrived, his grin grew when Aditya sheepishly held out a slip of paper with his number on it. 

“Aw, they look so cute together.”

Arthur nearly fell off the lamppost he was perched on when the voice rang out right next to his ear. He turned his head to see the demon’s face gazing down at Aditya, who was now standing alone and looking down at his phone, waiting for a text. 

Arthur stood and extended his wings, having every intention to fly away, when the demon blinked and called out, “Wait! Don’t go- I won’t ask any question or say things like I did last month. I promise.”

Arthur hesitated. Time Above worked differently, but he hadn’t thought it had been a month since he’d gone planetside. 

The demon seemed to notice his hesitation, so he smiled, “What took you so long anyways? Normally you take a mission once a week.”

Arthur frowned, allowing himself to carefully settle against the lamppost, trying to scoot as far away from where the demon was perched as possible. “I didn’t get assigned one, so I haven’t come down. I don’t appreciate how you seem to be stalking me.”

Placing a hand across his chest, the demon put up an obviously over-dramatic front, “I am not stalking! It’s just hard to ignore when you come planetside- you’re so bright.” He grinned, sharp teeth glinting in the dim light.

Arthur blinked, taking in the feeling of the rain passing through his non-corporal (to Earth-things) form. “Bright? What does that even mean?”

“You know,” Alfred raised his hands and gestured at Arthur, “Bright.”

“I don’t know-” Arthur cut himself off with a frown, “I have a quota to meet. I can’t afford to get distracted. I’m on a short time limit today. Goodbye.”

“Hey! Wait! Can’t you spare a minute!” The demon called after him as Arthur shot off.

No, he couldn’t spare a minute. He didn’t even spare the demon another thought as he ran away to finish his job. 

It was what he was meant to do. He couldn’t dilly-dally all day. 

He ignored how… strange he felt when he was around the demon. He made him feel different. Isolated, but if there was a way to be so and yet not be alone. Angels were supposed to be a machine; an infinite number of moving parts all doing their own jobs while working in tandem with each other. Arthur never truly felt the comradery the others seemed to feel, but he loved his work. 

He wasn’t going to let one demon ruin everything. 

  
  


He managed to travel Earth-side three more times before Alf- the demon contacted him again.

A part of Arthur almost missed the times when he would approach Arthur and just tease him. When he didn’t expect Arthur to answer with anything more than an annoyed hiss, when all he did was criticize Arthur’s technique and brag about how cool demons were.

It was easier when he didn’t make Arthur think about things he wasn’t supposed to. 

“Arthur.”

If you ignore something, it would go away.

“I’m not gonna ask about things like you being human once or tell you that you’re bright again. I get that you didn’t like that, but I do enjoy your company, so I’m just going to hang around you as you do your job, so don’t run away real fast again, okay?”

Arthur sighed as he lowered his bow from where he was aimed. He tilted his head to look at the demon, “For someone who was obviously trying to apologize for bringing up something he shouldn’t have, it’s rather weird how you immediately said what I hated right away.”

He watched as Alfred’s eyes widened, “Oh, shit, should I have not brought them up? Matthew said- I, uh, I thought my apology would be better if it was, like, explained everything?”

Arthur blinked, “Matthew? Who’s that?”

Pausing his rant, Alfred shrugged, “My brother, it doesn’t matter. Anyways, I’m real sorry and stuff. Can we get back to me annoying you and you getting annoyed by me?”

Lowering his bow, Arthur felt his brow furrow even deeper. “Your brother? Do you mean by birth? Or is this a demon thing, or-”

“Yeah? He’s my brother. It doesn’t matter how, we’ve almost always been together. I don’t think you… want to get into it considering how you reacted last time I tried to bring up the differences between Heaven and Hell and all that.” Alfred plopped onto the ground, leaning his head onto his hand. Arthur could tell his casual position was forced. Everything about his posture screamed how he was ready to jump up if Arthur tried to leave.

Despite that, he didn’t feel threatened.

Instead, he turned back around, looking for his target. Sighing when he saw the young woman had walked away, he unfurled his wings. Hearing Alfred jolt behind him, he huffed. “Alright. If you’re going to follow me, let’s get going. You better not hinder my job, though.”

“You got it, boss!”

Arthur shook his head, taking care to face away from the demon lest he saw Arthur’s (almost fond) smile, “Don’t call me that.”

 

\---

 

You never wanted to get called into your higher-up’s office. 

It meant you had done something very, very wrong. 

Arthur knew he had done something very, very wrong. Sure, he hadn’t  _ technically _ done something “wrong” but there certainly had to be something wrong with talking to a demon often and letting him follow you around.

_ It was easier to let him follow you than to try and spend the time to convince him to leave, which may not even work. It hadn’t worked when you’d tried it. The demon was pestering you. You didn’t  _ want _ to talk to the demon.  _

His internal monologue of reasoning- excuses- was repeating in his head. Over and over and over. He could feel the cold rush of fear run across his back as his throat and face burned with shame and guilt.

He’d done something wrong.

He was a failure.

What if they punished him? He’d seen angels who had gotten punished. Reformed. Fixed when they were  _ wrong. _

They were never the same. 

Arthur knocked on the door with a shaky hand, tensing noticeably as it opened. There stood his superior, towering over him with a stern frown on his face. He felt his palms begin to warm, quickly clenching them to stop them from shaking. 

“Come in.” The angel said. Following him inside, Arthur sat in the chair in his office, watching as the angel sat in his own chair across his desk. Ludwig was an old, old angel. One of the first hundred to be made. Blasphemy as it was to talk about, Arthur had heard whispers that Ludwig had once fought the Fallen One in an attempt to get him to stay. 

Suffice to say, Arthur was very much not comfortable at the moment. 

“You’ve been a good angel, Arthur. I would hate to see you fall from such a high pedestal.” Ludwig began. The barely hidden warning was crystal clear to Arthur. “I would like to know why you have been communing with a demon, and quite regularly. We’ve noticed that you’ve been taking longer to meet your quotas.” Ludwig shuffled papers on his desk, and Arthur knew they held the statistics of his centuries of work.

He took a deep breath, almost flinching as he heard how shuddering it was, but continued on, “It’s nearly impossible to get him to leave me alone, sir. I’ve tried to argue with him, but I found I can still get my work done if I just ignore him and-”

“Why have you not reported it?” 

Arthur blinked. Why hadn’t he? “It didn’t seem like it was worth it. All he is doing is being a mild annoyance. I still meet my quotas and-”

“It.” 

Arthur paused,  _ it? What does he mean? _

Ludwig repeated himself, “It. Demons are not beings of sufficient morals and capable of truly thinking. They aren’t people or anything of importance. They are ‘its.’”

A nod, “Pardon, sir,  _ it _ kept pestering me and I thought it would be easier if I simply ignored h-it and continued on with my work. I-”

“Please, stop. I don’t care for your excuses. All that matters is that since this has started to happen to you, you’ve been working slower. Your results aren’t even improving in terms of better relationships for the humans.” Ludwig stood and looked down at him, his large wings folded against his back fluttering slightly, “I called you here for you to know that either you get rid of it and return to your previous working capabilities, or we shall get rid of it for you and we will likely need to send you to the Pedagogues to teach you what is right and what is wrong again.” Ludwig sighed, “This is your only warning. You may now leave.”

Arthur nodded and stood, wondering if he should say something before deciding against it. He hurried out of his office and began the long walk back to his single-room sleeping quarter, keeping his head down in an attempt to keep himself composed. 

Breathing slowly, he kept an eye on his feet. Watching.

Left, right. Don’t panic.

A warning was just a warning.

No one would know about it.

_ Please, don’t let anyone have seen me leaving Ludwig’s office. I do not need the rumors added on to the stress of the warning _ .

He needed Alfred to leave him alone.

He’d thought- he’d assumed. He was still finishing his work, why was there a problem?

_ No, those types of thoughts are what got you a warning. _

If Ludwig sees a problem in this, then there has to be a problem. Arthur’s still young, of course he simply wasn’t experienced enough to see a problem.

That’s all this was.

He would grow from this. Soon, it’d be a memory he could look back on and laugh at how he used to be such a silly young angel.

The next time he got his quota, he’d make Alfred leave him alone, no matter what.

( _ Even if he’s not sure that’s what he really wants.) _

“Arthur! Did I just see you, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, leaving Ludwig’s office?” A nasally voice called out.

Of course,  _ of course,  _ someone had to have seen him. Of course things couldn’t be easy. 

Despite the call, Arthur kept walking, kept moving, kept hoping if he didn’t look up he could pretend he didn’t hear, that he wasn’t himself and they had mistaken him and-

“Arthur!” He couldn’t ignore the hand on his shoulder. 

Looking up, he forced himself to hold back a sigh. He didn’t immediately recognize the angel in front of him, making it more stressful that they knew he had been called into Ludwig’s office.

He couldn’t lie about what happened, or perhaps he could try some damage control? He was too frazzled for this. Normally he’d snark at them until they left him alone, but not now.

“Yes?” Perhaps keeping his words short and clipped would deter the nosy angel.

“So, what’d you do to get in trouble?” No, he wasn’t getting out of this, if the self-satisfied smirk on his face meant anything. 

“Nothing.” Of importance to them, anyways. 

Apparently, that wasn’t an acceptable answer because they crossed their arms and snorted, “I’m surprised to see boring old Arthur getting into trouble. I bet you’re just ready to fall, aren’t you. Wrath, isn’t it?”

A dark part of Arthur wanted to prove them right and snap at them, but that wasn’t right. He had to take the higher path, so he sighed and glanced around them, “If you’re done interrogating me, can I please leave?” He really, really wanted to get back to his room.

The angel’s wings fluttered, “Listen, Arthur, if you’re feeling tempted by demons I can give you some guidance so you can remember why it’s better up here. There’s no point in you falling when there’s someone who can help you.”

Arthur almost, almost, lost it on them. He almost yelled at them, called them out on their pride, but he didn’t. Instead, he took a deep breath and blinked slowly, before looking up and stating, “I’m fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going.” And he brushed past them, continuing on to his room, hoping beyond all hope he’d be able to get to his room undisturbed this time. 

And he did. The only interruption was the angel’s sarcastic, “Hope you figure your issues out!” that was called out at his back. 

When he got to his room, he laid down on his bed, face up. With his wings spread out beneath him, he stared up at his ceiling, letting his mind go blank and wash away the stress of the day. 

He’d figure out what to do to get the demon to leave him alone later. Now, he would let himself not think of his problems. He’d relax (as much as he could at the moment). 

He’d relax.

 

\---

 

Arthur wasn’t relaxed. 

His new quota was much higher than his previous ones, and he knew it was a test. If he kept up the slower pace he’d adopted when talking with the demon, he’d never meet his quota. But with his speed before the demon he could do it, if he rushed.

He needed to tell the demon to leave him alone for good this time. 

He-  _ it _ would arrive shortly, it always did. Until then, Arthur would begin his job. He couldn’t waste time with this one. Scanning around, he spotted the woman he needed to find a potential partner for. 

Looking around the crowd, he spotted her best friend. 

The relationship that could bloom from them would work, in most cases. A decent shot. 

Raising his bow, he closed one eye and was about to fire when he heard a gentle thump behind him on the roof.

Alfred- _ no.  _ Stop _. It _ was here. 

He ignored him, not turning to acknowledge him right away. He didn’t want to miss his shot. Within a second (uninterrupted. The demon was apparently letting him work in silence until Arthur began to talk) he let the arrow fly. Not even watching to make sure the arrow hit (of course it would), he turned and faced the demon.

A bright smile greeted him, “Hello! How you been? It’s been a while since you’ve been down.”

Has it? He wouldn’t have known.

But he couldn’t focus on that now. Now, he needed to get rid of the demon. The pest. 

“You’re a monster. I never want to see you again. You’ve been bothering me and distracting me and slowing me down for too long. Go away and never come back.” He hissed it all out quickly, trying to get it to leave as soon as possible. Rip the bandage off.

With wide eyes, it asked, “What? What do you mean?” The demon looked confused, almost hurt.

But no, no. Demons couldn’t feel things like that- they were creatures of want and anger. It was playing with Arthur, tricking him. That was one of the first things they were taught when they woke up.

Demons were bad, and if you thought that maybe this one was different, you were being tricked.

Arthur didn’t want to be tricked, not anymore. He raised his bow and strung it with an arrow- one different from the ones he used for his job- aiming it towards the demon, “I’m not going to fall for you apologies and your act any longer. I’m better than this- than you. Leave now, and don’t even think of attacking me.”

It stepped back, away from Arthur and towards the edge of the building. It was raising its hands, face falling even further, “Arthur, I wouldn’t- where is this coming from? I thought you weren’t like- You didn’t-” The demon closed its eyes and stopped its retreat, opening its piercing blue eyes to stare at him, “Are you okay?”

Arthur’s hand slipped and he fired, missing the demon but getting his point across. One last, deep cut of betrayal flitted across its face before it stepped off the building and began its descent into Hell. 

“Good riddance,” Arthur forced himself say.

The uncomfortable feeling in his chest was just remnants from when the demon tricked him. That’s what it had to be. 

He turned away from where he last saw Alfred-  _ the demon _ \- he hefted his bow and looked around before unfurling his wings and taking off, ready to finish his quota undisturbed.

 

\---

 

Two Earthen minutes. He’d missed it by two Earthen minutes.

He wouldn’t get in too much trouble, right? Especially since he’d done his secondary task of getting rid of the demon. He was nervous. He didn’t want another strike to pile up. He needed this all to be a bad memory.

Making his way back up Above, he slowed as he breached the clouds, coming to rest his feet on their soft surface. Taking his bow from around his shoulder, he held it out and willed it to disappear, removing his quiver after as well.

Looking around, he realized he breached around Ludwig’s office. Perhaps it was accidental, or perhaps it-

The door to Ludwig’s office opened and the angel in question stepped out, looking around as he made a note on his clipboard. His eyes quickly came to rest on Arthur.

A slow trickle of dread began to creep up his neck.

When Ludwig’s face fell from its neutral position to a deep frown, Arthur felt that dread multiply until he was swarmed with fear and nausea. 

“Hello, sir.” A simple, neutral greeting. 

“Arthur.” Ludwig scanned him up and down, forehead creasing as his large, white wings fluttered behind him. 

Arthur’s own dappled wings were tucked firmly against his back, a clear sign of who was in control. 

“You failed to eliminate the distraction, and you were late to fill your quota. Did you believe my warning to be a joke?” Ludwig looked down at Arthur, who took a subtle step back at his harsh tone.

“But, sir, I told him off.” He barely held back a flinch at how Ludwig’s frown deepened at his slip-up. “The demon seemed to take my words seriously this time, and I did threaten it, it shouldn’t be coming back.”

“So talking could have worked? Why did you not do that earlier?” Ludwig sighed and shook his head, before scribbling something down on his clipboard. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, to try and defend himself, but he was cut off before he could, “Alright. You talked far too long with that demon  _ and _ you failed to meet your quota. I’m sorry but I’m going to need you to come with me. The Pedagogues are waiting.” 

And suddenly, everything felt slow.

This wasn’t something Arthur ever imagined would happen to him. He wasn’t bad. He did his job- he was useful. 

But they didn’t care. He wasn’t useful enough. He didn’t fit. They were going to  _ fix  _ him. Arthur felt the eyes of the small crowd on him. They had gathered to watch- he  _ knew _ some of them. He’d worked with them before. None of them were even trying to help him.

None of them cared.

And suddenly, everything was happening so fast.

Arthur felt an iron, cold grip on his upper arm, and without letting himself think through his actions, he reached his other hand up and fisted Ludwig's feathers, yanking down. The angel screamed, and loosened his grip. Taking the opportunity, Arthur pushed him backwards and began to backpedal, turning and running as fast as he could. 

Looking around, Arthur shoved past the shocked angels as he ran before anyone could react.

And react they did. It took only a second before Ludwig's booming voice was calling for them to stop him, for him to stop, but he didn’t. 

He kept running.

If he apparently couldn’t follow their other orders, why would he follow this one? 

Feet pounding against the ground, he felt the normally soft surface grow hard against his bare feet as he ran. The normally blue and white world faded to a dull gray. It’s edges became rough, a sharp contrast against the soft feathers still clasped in his hand. 

The angels around him were slow to react. Seeing an angel coming thundering through the land was a rare sight, and to see him followed by Ludwig and a few other angels who decided to help the chase was even stranger. However, they all listened when Ludwig called for them to grab him, but none could get a grip before Arthur was yanking himself away and running faster.

He didn’t know where he was going, only that he couldn’t stop running, no matter what. 

Looking around, he blinked when he knew where he was. He’d found his way to the main docks, the place where most angels would make their descent to Earth when they had a job to do. Arthur liked to wander the area, he found solace in how empty it typically was, because most people didn’t like to linger.

Something about a fear of falling. 

Arthur had no such fear, and as such, was able to explore without interruption. As such, he knew of a few hidden nooks and crannies. One of which being a little area behind a building, almost invisible if you didn’t know where to look.

Speeding up, Arthur forced himself to slip from his chasers view, sliding into the little nook before they could see him hide. 

Holding his breath, he kept still and silent as they ran past, recoiling as Ludwig clamored past. Shifting against the wall he was pressed against, he backed up slowly, hiding himself more from view as he moved more into the small alley. 

Listening closely, he waited patiently, only relaxing when things were quiet for a while. 

And then, he let everything hit him.

He’d disobeyed multiple direct orders. He’d ran from  _ Ludwig _ of all angels. He was marked to be retaught- if they found him, he’d never be the same.

He didn’t know what to do, where to go. 

He could go Earthside, and try and hide out there, but they’d find him, eventually. He wouldn’t be able to stay there.

Letting out an almost hysterical laugh, he opened his clenched fists and covered his face, feeling his body begin to shake.

But then, he looked down as something brushed his feet.

Ludwig's feathers, the pure white things, were piled up at his feet. He’d torn those out of his wings- 

Oh.

_ He could do that _ .

Would he be well received? They said angels who went through with it were tortured and made into slaves.

But could he trust anything they said anymore? When they’d reacted to harsly to him not even breaking any rules, what else could be corrupt?

A part of Arthur registered how easily he was taking all of this. Another part of him realized he’d been distancing himself for a while, especially since he’d met Alfred.  _ Perhaps the demon was a bad influence, _ Arthur thought bitterly. 

_ Would Alfred forgive him? _

He shouldn’t. Arthur had been cruel. It had all come out of nowhere. But, also, Alfred had asked him if he was okay. Alfred, despite Arthur harsh words, wanted to know if he was okay.

Alfred was a better being than any of these angels.

And with that, Arthur reached a hand up and grabbed a fistful of his own feathers. Yanking quickly, he ripped them out. 

It hurt,  _ it really, really hurt. _

He spared the dappled feathers a glance, knowing he was standing at a point of no return.

He knew he wouldn’t want to return. Whatever awaited him below would be better than what awaited him up here.

He moved quickly, ripping out feather after feather. His wings burned, and he knew they were bleeding in a few places from when he was too rough. As time when on, the burn lessened. It moved from utterly agonizing to a slight sting. The pile of feathers at his feet grew, his own feathers quickly covering up Ludwig's. A few drops of blood stained the feathers a warm red, and Arthur felt a deep burn of satisfaction at the sight of the delicate things so sullied. 

Reaching out his hand again, he blinked at feeling only one feather in his grip.

His last feather. His last chance to back out.

He didn’t hesitate to pluck the feather out.

Letting it go, he moved quickly, sparing no second glance to the pile behind him. Barely taking the time to see if anyone else was on the dock, he ran towards the edge, turned away from the precipice and looking over his cloudy home. 

He smiled and held his arms out, leaning back slowly. Whatever happened now would happen. He chose this, and nothing could stop him now. 

He chose this.

Gravity picked up as he lost his balance, slipping off the edge. He began to fall, going faster and faster as the cloudy above him began to fade from view.

He didn’t realize falling would hurt. Normally his wings would flutter into effect, effortlessly carrying his weight. Instead they dangled uselessly behind him. 

The wind stung, his wings ached, his head hurt, his body felt like it was burning. The pain grew and grew as the ground came closer and closer until he felt his eyes flutter closed, his last view the shrinking clouds of his once home.

Consciousness hurt too much, it would be easier to rest.

Arthur wanted to rest. 


	2. Below the Ground

Alfred huffed, flopping his head into his hand. He twirled the pen in his hands, staring at the paper but not really looking at it.

He’d been in a bad mood for a while, and he knew people were beginning to notice. When he came in to drop off papers, Toris had asked him twice now if he was okay. 

He always plastered on a smile and said he was fine, but he did kinda want to talk about it. It sucked Matthew was out doing work in the eastern regions, he wanted to talk to him and get advice for what to do.

It’s been a week since Arthur had yelled at him and forced him off the building. Sure, he could have easily stood up for himself, he should have, and he would have had it been literally anyone else.

But it wasn’t anyone else.

It was Arthur.

It was Arthur who’d looked so blank, and yet so sad. Scared.

He knew what the angels were like, he knew he had been putting Arthur at risk by being around him, but he couldn’t help it.

Arthur was alluring.

He hadn’t thought they would hold it against Arthur- he hadn’t make Arthur do anything that was against their stupid, stupid rules. 

What went wrong? 

If Arthur wasn’t okay there would be hell to pay- pun not intended.

Alfred sat up quickly as he heard the door to his office open, watching as his secretary, Toris, stepped in. “Your Majesty?” He asked with a bow.

Alfred rolled his eyes and sighed, “I keep telling you to not call me that. But what’s up?”

Toris lowered his eyes, an action Alfred still hadn’t knocked him out of. He was trying to get him to unlearn all the stupid habits he had been forced to learn before he’d Fallen, but it was hard for the young soul. He’d been only a few centuries old when he’d fallen, created by the angels to be an angel- but not a normal one. They’d wanted someone to do the lower work they didn’t enjoy doing, like chasing down wayward souls and cleaning up after their Pedagogues. 

That type of creation was bound to fail; bound to have disastrous effects. 

Either way, Alfred was grateful for the help Toris provided. 

Currently, however, he was nervous. Toris was always a bit hesitant, but he rarely seemed so excited and nervous at the same time.

“What is it?” He asked again, hoping a second prompting would get the words out of the young demon.

“There’s a new Fallen!” Toris exclaimed.

Alfred blinked, feeling a burst of fear and hope at the thought it could be Arthur- but, no. Arthur was too dedicated to the angels. He’d proved that. Arthur wouldn’t do something so drastic so quickly. 

Instead, he sighed and stood, “Where are they?”

“The courtyard, Your Majesty. I tried to get a good look but-” Alfred tuned the young demon out as they walked. It made sense Toris was excited. There was the possibility of another angel like him who choose to Fall, and it would give him someone to talk to with similar experiences. 

Fallen were rare, but not uncommon. Alfred and his brother both were, as well as a few other of his trusted friends. Alfred generally got along better with those who had Fallen, especially when it came to work. Those who were once angels and had experienced the subjugation at their hands typically did better at consoling souls that had been rejected from Above for petty reasons. 

He took the steps towards the back entrance of the palace two at a time, wanting to get to the Fallen quickly. He preferred to deal with them all personally, wanting to make sure each and every one didn’t have to experience the loneliness and fear of waking up Below alone. 

He’d experienced the worst of it all, being the first to fall and the first to inhabit the lands. 

Pushing the large doors open, he entered the courtyard. It was stained a permanent dull black, lit by the blue lamplight and the sharp gray cobblestone. He quickly spotted the large crowd huddled around what he had to assume was the Fallen.

_ What if it was Arthur _ \- No.

Don’t hope. You can’t let disappointment show, think of the Fallen. How that would feel.

It’s not Arthur. It couldn’t be, right?

“Hey!” He called out, walking past Toris towards the crowd, “Let’s not crowd them, please.”

Most of the demon stepped aside, giving him a clear view of Gilbert rearing back and kicking the Fallen in the arm. 

“Gil! What the fuck!” Alfred shouted as he jogged forward. He glared at his old friend, “Really? They’re unconscious!”

Gilbert shrugged, nudging the Fallen with his foot, “I wanted to wake him up. Fallen sleep for so long; it’s so boring.”

Alfred rolled his eyes, “Yeah, okay.” Turning to face the small group, he sighed, “Alright, everyone clear out. I’ll release a statement about the Fallen later, so go away for now. You all know the drill.”

Alfred loved his subjects (though he disliked that word, there wasn’t really a better word for the King of Hell to call all the demons in the realm), but sometimes they could be a bit obtrusive. Waiting for them to walk away, Alfred took in a breath and looked down, freezing as he took in the sight below him.

Small twisted horns pointing up out of red hair. Damaged and broken wings covered by deep black feathers- a characteristic of all newly Fallen. It took Alfred a second, so used to shiny golden hair. 

It was Arthur. 

When the realization washed over him, Alfred was struck with my emotions.

Confusion, anger, concern, joy, but he pushed them all down. Just because it was Arthur, the angel he’d been watching and caring for and- 

Just because it was Arthur didn’t mean he could break routine.

At least, not while other demons were watching. He did not want to deal with a bunch of annoyed demons calling him out for giving the new Fallen special treatment. So, he carefully picked up Arthur, trying not to think of what may have driven the dutiful angel to go through with Falling. If he did, he may do something he’d regret.

He turned around and began to make his way to one of the palace spare rooms, telling Toris to have Kiku stop by. Just like he always did. He acted like a King who wanted to comfort those who have just Fallen, going through the motions as he made his way up a flight of stairs.

If he gave this Fallen one of the spare rooms closer to his sleeping quarters and study, it was simply a coincidence. If he cradled this one a little more gently than he did others, he was only feeling pity for how this one’s wings broke during the Fall. 

He only let his facade drop when he shut the door to the room, letting out a shuddering breath as he walked over to the large bed in the room and rested Arthur atop. Newly Fallen were permitted to stay in the palace until they found a place of their own, or they could stay if they found a job that would require them to work in the palace. Alfred was determined to find such a job for Arthur.

_ But what if he still wants nothing to do with me? _ The thought was jarring. Alfred took a seat on the bed, looking down at Arthur. Frown lines were etched into his forehead as he slept, laying completely still except for the occasional twitch of his wings.  _ What if he meant what he said, and even though he Fell he still hates me? _

The thoughts were baseless, and if Alfred had allowed himself to think back to how Arthur had acted when yelling at him he’d have seen the turmoil in Arthur’s eyes, the hesitation in his fingers as they gripped his bow. 

How the arrow only flew when his grip slipped.

But fear could make you disregard such things, it could make you wonder and wonder if the one you cared for despised you--not that Alfred  _ cared for  _ Arthur. He just enjoyed his company, of course. 

Before he could fall deeper into his spiral, there was a swift knock on the door. That was Alfred’s only warning before Kiku stepped inside, a bag of supplies under one arm.

“This is the new Fallen?” He asked as he crossed the room and nudged Alfred aside, looking down at Arthur.

“Yes, and his wings look worse than most. Take care to fix those up.” Alfred moved off of the bed, hovering over Kiku as he looked Arthur up and down.

Glancing up at Alfred, he spoke, “Turn him over for me, I can’t do much while he’s on his back.”

Alfred did as instructed, gently shifting Arthur. He felt Kiku’s eyes on him, and he knew the demon was watching how careful he was being. 

However, he made no comment of it as he moved forward and did his job as the palace healer. 

He watched in silence as Kiku began the painstaking process of aligning and bandaging up the broken wings. It almost hurt to watch, and to hear, as the bones shifted and popped. Nonetheless, he persisted, ever the watchful guardian.

He nodded politely to Kiku as the demon shuffled out, staying as he always did until the new demon woke up. 

Only when the door shut did he openly break protocol and kneel beside the bed, reaching out slowly to grasp Arthur’s hand. He pushed aside the thoughts of Arthur still wanting nothing to do with him, instead focusing on his red hair.

It was so different from his old color, but the new color fit. Where the blonde was bright and calming, the red was loud and so… different.

Alfred smirked. How his little angel would have gotten so upset to be so set apart from others. And yet, this was the color given to him as he Fell.

This was who we was to be, forever, as a demon.

It fit. It fit more than the fake golden color had. 

Alfred adjusted his position, laying his head against the bed and he tightening his grip on Arthur’s hand. He would wait until he woke up, both to calm him and to introduce him to what Hell was actually like, showing him the truth instead of the dirty lies he had likely been fed his entire existence. 

The process was always messy, but Alfred always tried to ease the pain as much as he could. He wouldn’t let anyone else experience the confusing emptiness of waking up Below all by oneself, with no one to explain it all. 

With only darkness and fire and cold and  _ fear- _

Weary, Alfred felt his eyes begin to droop close. He had been stressed for a while, wondering what was wrong with Arthur, if he was okay, if he honestly hated him. Now, seeing him (mostly) safe, was enough to let him relax. He could deal with how he felt when he awoke later. For now, he could rest. Just a little.

  
  


Blinking, he lifted his head. 

_ Huh. Didn’t mean to fall asleep. (Yeah I did.) _

Sitting up fully, he groaned as his knees protested the movement. Moving his hand, he smiled as he realized it was still holding onto Arthur’s (embarrassing). He let go and stood up, rubbing his sore knees as he did so. He really shouldn’t have fallen asleep in such a position. He then stretched his arms over his head, letting his black wings flutter outwards.

With a sigh, he turned his gaze back down to Arthur. He was still laying on his stomach, with his bandaged wings spread out behind him. 

It would take a few weeks before they would be healed enough to remove the bandages, and a month or so before they could be used for flying. It would just add to the disjointedness of Falling. 

Alfred was about to turn and go to the door, to call for someone to bring Kiku to check on Arthur again (no, he wasn’t being overbearing) and to bring him some water, but right as he turned, he heard a groan. 

He froze. He suddenly realized he hadn’t planned on what he’d say to Arthur when he awoke. Instead of speaking up, he stayed facing the door, hearing Arthur shift on the bed.

“What…” Arthur’s voice was scratchy, and he quickly coughed, before Alfred heard more fabric shifting. A soft gasp before a whispered, “Alfred?”

Turning slowly, he felt a small smile creep onto his face. Arthur was pushing himself up onto his forearms, staring right at Alfred with eyes that were so much greener than they were before he’d Fallen. He looked exhausted, but Alfred could see how he was straining to stay upright, to figure out exactly what was going on.

And with that, Alfred defaulted on what he did every time he greeted new Fallen.

He stepped back towards the bed, letting his smile morph into something warmer, kneeling as he spoke, “Hello,” He greeted him softly. “Don’t worry. Your body is still healing, and you’re going to be tired for a while. It’s alright to rest a bit longer, if you want to wait for me to explain everything. All you need to know now is much of what you’ve been taught by them up Above is wrong, and we’re not going to hurt you. You really should rest.” He began to reach out a hand to brush a small strand of Arthur’s red hair out of his face, before he caught himself and rested it against the bed.

_ Boundaries.  _

Arthur shook his head and continued to shift, and Alfred didn’t stop himself from reaching out to stop Arthur as he attempted to roll over, “You shouldn’t- your wings-” Alfred spoke quickly, stopping Arthur before he could hurt his wings by laying on his back.

“My wings?” Arthur turned his head more, before flinching as he saw the bandages covering them, “What happened?”

Alfred sighed, helping Arthur lay back down as he ran a hand through his own hair, “I normally do this talk when you’re well rested. You look like you’re about to pass out again.”

“I’m fine.” Arthur spoke firmly, letting Alfred know he would not win this fight. 

Alfred huffed and adjusted his position on the ground. Taking a deep break, he continued, “When you Fall, your wings break. It happens to all Fallen. Because you pluck out your feathers, they don’t work right, and so when they try and catch you, they snap.” Alfred paused as his wings folded in on themselves, flinching at the ghost of pain that coursed through them. “Your wings are more damaged than most, so they’ll take longer to heal. You won’t be able to fly for quite a while.”

His brow furrowed, obviously upset by the news. No one- angel or demon- enjoying being grounded. It made one feel unsafe and vulnerable, and so Alfred was quick to continue, “Don’t worry though. No harm will come to you, especially while you’re inside the palace. No one will dare mess with you while you’re under-” He hesitated, unsure of how to continue.

Did he tell Arthur he was the King? Or should he keep it a secret? Would Arthur do what most do and become scared and formal with him? 

Alfred didn’t want him to. He liked when Arthur would talk to him, he liked how Arthur  _ used _ to talk to him. So, stupidly, he finished, “-while you’re under the King’s supervision.” Not technically a lie. “All Fallen are allowed to stay inside the palace until they’re healed and have figured out what they wish to do. Some end up staying and working under the King closely, and some choose positions that land them more into the Outlands. But that’s something to think about later, for now, just worry about healing and resting.” Alfred frowned, “Which you should be doing right now.”

Arthur was silent, and understandably so. Alfred had just thrown a lot of information at him, and he was likely having trouble processing it all. 

So it was a surprise to him when Arthur looked back up at him, “Alfred, I should- I need- I just-” he broke off with a groan, obviously annoyed with how he couldn’t get the words out as he glared down at the pillow he had his arms propped up on.

Wanting to help, he urged Arthur along, “What’s up?”

He turned his big green eyes back at Alfred, “I’m sorry. For how acted- for what I said. I didn’t want- I needed.” Arthur huffed again, and Alfred could see he was working himself up. 

Figuring out what Arthur was trying to say, he put a stop to it quickly, cutting in, “Hey, hey. It’s fine. I know how angels are- especially about doing things they don’t approve of. Don’t worry. I know you didn’t mean it.”

Well, he’d hoped he didn’t mean it, at least. Arthur had always seemed annoyed by him, but never like he was disgusted. It was good to know he’d been working himself up over it earlier for nothing. 

It was good to know Arthur was okay.

“But, still,” Arthur began. 

Alfred cut him off quickly, “Seriously, angels are the worst when it comes to all that. Don’t worry about it. You need to worry about resting right now. I’ll go get Kiku and he can look over you now that you’re awake, okay?” Standing, he strode over to the door and opened it, sticking his head out and flagging out a demon who walked by. “Go find Kiku and have him come here, alright?”

The demon nodded and ran off, not wanting to disobey the King. As annoying as that could get, it was nice when he needed something done.

Arthur’s voice rang out again, bringing him back inside the room, “Alfred?”

“Come on, rest, Arthur. You need it.”

Arthur shook his head as he laid it down on the pillow, cushioning it in his arms. “What did you mean when you said you ‘know how angels are?’” 

Alfred froze, wondering if this was the chance he passed up earlier to tell Arthur who he was. But, no, he didn’t want Arthur to blindly listen to everything he said out of fear or unearned respect. So, instead, he fudged the truth a little more. “I was an angel, once. I Fell a really, really long time ago.”

Arthur closed his eyes, and Alfred knew he was starting to give into sleep as they talked. (He wouldn’t admit to himself how warm it made him feel to know Arthur was relaxed enough in his presence to rest.) Arthur hummed, “How long ago?”

Hesitating, Alfred answered slowly, “Around the time they began to change for the worse. I didn’t like where things were headed, so I Fell.” Just leave out how he was the  _ first _ to Fall, and how their changes happened thousands of millennium ago. 

It was a pretty suspicious answer, but luckily Arthur seemed tired enough that he didn’t fully process it. Instead he asked, “Why did you ever seek me out, anyways?” 

Alfred assumed if Arthur had been more aware of himself, more awake, he wouldn’t have asked such a thing. It didn’t bother him, however. He was glad to tell Arthur why-

Why did he?

He almost… stumbled upon Arthur one day. 

  
  


He’d been out and about, trying to kill time while he waited for Yao finished finalizing the paperwork they’d been working on together, when he’d seen him.

He was beautiful, standing tall and unnoticed as the humans unconsciously weaved around him on the sidewalk. He was staring straight ahead, focused entirely on his target, bow pointed straight and true. His golden hair shined in the sun, and his white tunic and fluffy dappled feathers showed exactly what he was. The small, dim halo above his head his minuscule status. The red arrows strung on his back let Alfred know exactly what he was doing on the Surface, and how often he was there.

Alfred was enamored at first sight.

Something about the abnormally grumpy face on this angel lured him in. Or perhaps it’d been his intense focus on his job--nothing else mattered to the angel. 

He was completely unaware as Alfred strode up to his side, and he likely wouldn’t have noticed him at all if Alfred hadn’t let out a curious, “Hello.”

The angel jumped, dropping his bow as he flinched away. Alfred had to laugh, angels nowadays were so easily spooked.

He quickly stopped laughing as the angel turned his piercing green eyes on him. The angel hissed out an annoyed, “I swear if you made me lose my targets-” He reached down and scooped up his bow, quickly nocking another arrow and scanning for whoever he was aiming at. 

“You’re a cupid?”

The angel frowned and said nothing. Alfred quickly figured out what he was doing, and would have none of it. “Aw, don’t ignore me. I don’t bite, well, not unless you want me-”

The angel whipped around and growled, “If you don’t shut up right now-”

Alfred laughed and held his hands up, conceding. 

For the moment. He’d be on the lookout for this angel, he decided. He seemed fun. 

  
  
  


He never really knew  _ why _ he continued to seek Arthur out. He often got bored quickly, and his interactions had gotten quite repetitive after a while. He’d sneak up on him, try and goad him into talking, and leave when he felt he’d pissed him off enough, or when Arthur deemed it time to go back Above.

He always kept seeking Arthur out.

Why?

He didn’t know. _ Yes he did. _

He couldn’t give Arthur an answer if he didn’t know.  _ But he did know. _

So, he’d tell a half-truth, “It was fun goading you on. Each time I saw you I’d hope that time you’d finally have a conversation with me.” He paused, “I liked arguing with you.”

Arthur shook his head, “Yes, yes. But why  _ me _ in particular? There’s plenty of angels just like me.”

“But they’re not you.”

“What-”

Arthur was cut off as the door to the room opened. Kiku stepped inside and when his eyes met Alfred’s he dipped into a low bow. Alfred didn’t have time to interrupt him before Kiku spoke, “Your Majesty, you wanted me to come?”

He heard Arthur’s sharp intake of breath, and Alfred flinched. 

The jig was up.

Exactly what he was hoping wouldn’t happen, happened. Right away, too.

Shit.

_ Why couldn’t anything go his way? _

_ (He knew it was better that Arthur found out sooner rather than later.) _

But,  _ fuck, _ as Alfred turned to look at Arthur, he saw the underlying fear in his eyes. 

He didn’t speak, just let Kiku brush him aside and look over Arthur. Surprisingly, Arthur didn’t press for more information. He didn’t ask Alfred why he never said he was the King, he didn’t immediately begin to grovel, he didn’t do  _ anything _ except sit and let Kiku adjust his wings and press a cool hand to his head, checking here and there for injury or illness. He pulled Arthur up, placing a pillow against the small of his back to keep him sitting up and away from the headboard. Arthur didn’t resist the movements, simply compiled without a second thought.

It made Alfred antsy to watch Arthur sit there, almost completely still.

It reminded him of how Arthur would react when regurgitating stupid rules from Above, and the he quickly realized that’s what Arthur was doing. He’d realized Alfred was in charge, and he was treating him like he’d treat an authority figure from Above--he’d seen similar things from Toris.

He needed to fix this. 

He laid a hand on Kiku’s shoulder, tilting his head backwards in the universal “leave” motion, and the palace doctor got the hint. He removed his hands from the bandages on Arthur’s wings, giving Arthur a quick rundown of what not to do (most things involving movement) and swept out of the room. 

Looking over Arthur, he frowned. Arthur refused to meet his gaze, staring off to the side at the wall. 

“Arthur?” His voice was soft, hesitant. Arthur’s eyes flitted upwards, looking into his, before they blinked back downwards. Alfred sighed and spoke, “Look, don’t. I’m not like the angels- I just.” He groaned, running his hands through his hair. “I’ve always been the King of Hell, since long before you knew me, it shouldn’t change anything.”

He’d thought that would work. He’d thought reminding Arthur he was no different from when they met, but that must have been so horribly wrong considering how Arthur’s eyes widened and he turned quickly, grasping quickly at himself as he began to stutter out words.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was so rude to you, I’m sorry. I threatened you! I should have been better from the start, I-”

“Woah! Arthur, stop.” Alfred raised his voice, quickly regretting it as he saw Arthur flinch.

He wasn’t stupid, he’d seen many Fallen act the same. Scared, jittery, all too polite and much too quiet. He needed- wanted- Arthur to treat him no differently. He needed to reassure him.

“Look at me.” Slowly, Arthur tilted his head up, and the way his eyes shone showed how obedient he was trying to be. Alfred sighed, “Arthur, I’m literally no different from the demon who pestered you a bunch when I first met you. Now I just have some stupid title.” He kneeled down, trying to make himself seem as intimidating as possible. “Things down here aren’t like they are Above. We have just a few rules but nothing like they do, I promise. There’s no need to treat me like I’m so much better and have all the power- so please, don’t treat me like you’d treat an Archangel or whatever, okay?”

He knew it’d be a process, but it was a start. 

It was a start when Arthur nodded and loosened his grip in his arms.

It was a start when Arthur’s shoulders relaxed.

It was a start when Arthur smiled- small, but there- and joked, “I never thought you’d admit you’re  _ not _ better than everyone else.

Alfred laughed, feeling himself warm as he replied, “Well, okay, maybe I lied a little there. I am better, I take it all back.”

It was a start when the small smile on Arthur’s face brightened and-

_ Oh. _

Maybe he  _ was _ going to play major favorites with Arthur. 

Who knew the King of Hell could feel  _ those _ types of emotions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!!! kudos and comments are much appreciated!!


	3. On the In Between

“When can I get a job?”

Alfred honestly shouldn’t have had the gall to looked so surprised by Arthur’s question. He knew he’d been antsy lately. His wings were almost fully healed, the bandages were finally off, revealing big, fluffy, black plumage. They wouldn’t support his weight yet, but Arthur was content.

He was healed, finally. 

He was no longer a shattered Fallen, he was a demon.

He was surprisingly okay with that.

Alfred had been showing him around the castle, explaining the ins and outs of the daily lives of most of the demon’s and their jobs. Arthur was taking special note of which ones interested, excited at the prospect of getting to  _ choose _ his work. He would get to  _ choose _ where he lived. There were so many choices down below.

It was exciting, if not a little intimidating.

He couldn’t wait to start choosing.

“Your wings aren’t fully healed, Arthur.”

Too bad Alfred seemed to want to baby him.

He was mostly over being friends with the King of Hell (what a thought), but sometimes Alfred would clench his teeth to growl over the misconduct of a demon or do something just close enough to what Arthur saw Above and he would retreat in, trying to hide away from Alfred. 

Alfred always realized what he’d did as soon as Arthur would grow silent, and he’d always apologize and try and fix it. Arthur was just happy it was a rare enough occasion that he could easily brush off his apologies.

He was also over Alfred’s title and history enough to be able to roll his eyes and say, “Kiku told me I was fine. I’m all cleared. I know you’re lazy and would kill for a month long break like I got, but I actually  _ enjoy _ working.”

Alfred averted his eyes and shifted from his spot on the couch in Arthur’s temporary room. “I still think it’s too soon.” Alfred then huffed, crossing his arms and sinking deeper into the cushions, “I also told Kiku to wait to clear you until you could fly.”

“That’s not really your call to make.” Arthur was sometimes surprised at how little power Alfred had given himself as King. He was the _first_ Fallen. The _first_ _demon_. He could have done whatever he wanted down Below, but instead he ceded power to others, remaining not the undisputed dictator, but a leader and gatherer of many ideas. And, he’d made Kiku in charge of all things medical in the palace. “Besides, I do believe I’ll go completely crazy if I stay cooped up inside my room any longer.”

“Oh, come on. I take you around the palace all the time.” A pause, and then Alfred’s head jerked up, “Unless you don’t want to stay in the palace? Do you want one of the jobs in Ivan’s domain? Or Toni’s? Because let me tell you, the jobs they offer kinda suck and I think you’d like it more if you had one of the palace jobs, and-”

Arthur rolled his eyes, “I was talking with Toris about the other domains, and he said Ivan’s domain is far too cold. And you introduced me to Antonio when he visited to discuss whatever that meeting was about. I didn’t  _ enjoy _ his company.”

If Arthur was anyone else, he would have said the look on Alfred’s face was akin to relief.

Whatever it was, it was quickly washed away as Alfred sat up and nodded, “Smart. The palace jobs are much cooler anyways. Do you have an idea on what you want to do?”

Arthur looked around his room, feeling his gaze linger on the window, “I’m not entirely sure. I think I’d want to do something that would help the most people. When I was an angel,” Arthur spoke slowly, still unsure of how to feel about his time Above, “I think I genuinely did enjoy my work. Helping people find happiness was… rewarding, I guess. But I’m not sure I want to go back to Earth so soon.”

The window was hard to see through at his angle, the blue candlelight sinning against it and blurring out the view. It didn’t really matter. In his month Below he’d spent countless hours staring out at the land. 

It was nothing like they’d said Hell would be like. 

Instead of grimy stone walls and burning fire that was both impossibly hot and horribly cold, it was shining cobblestone paths and warm blankets and towering spires.

And laughter and friends and a sense of comradery that was so much more real than anything Arthur had experienced Above. 

He hadn’t yet seen all of the land, but he assumed it was all close to the reds and blacks, purples and blues of the castle area. He found he liked the deeper tones of Below much more than the sterile and fake whites and golds of Above. 

“There’s lots of jobs that involve going to Earth and interacting with people, if that’s what you decide you want.” Alfred trailed off, and Arthur looked back over at him and almost let a smile grace his features at the sight of Alfred’s nose scrunched up. 

He thought back to the last few weeks and of all the jobs he’d been shown, making a decision that should have seen obvious from the beginning, “What did you say Matthew did again?”

At the way Alfred perked up, he knew that he was on the right path. 

 

“Are these the papers you wanted?” Arthur approached the demon slowly, still unsure of if he was doing the right thing.

He hadn’t needed to learn anything new in many centuries, not since he’d first woken up as an angel. It was strange, and almost aggravating.

But it was new and it was wonderful.

And when Matthew smiled at him and accepted the stack from his hands with a quick, “Yeah! Thanks, Arthur,” It felt like he was doing something good.

He’d only spoken with Matthew a few times before talking to Alfred about being his assistant because the demon was always running around to different regions of Below, talking to those in charge and making sure everything was running smoothly. And when things went wrong, as they could when the wrong type of demon was placed in charge or vied for too much power, Matthew was in charge of stopping them. He also, apparently, dealt with mass amounts of paperwork (who knew Hell ran like a business?) and angry demons claiming he unfairly stripped them of their positions. 

So when Alfred spoke to Matthew about Arthur assisting him with the paperwork and staying organized, the blonde demon quickly agreed. 

He enjoyed speaking with Matthew. He asked him many questions about his past and his work as he helped file and organize the neglected parts of his study. Matthew told him story after story about demons who began to punish the wrong souls, demons who tried to ensnare humans into doing bad, and when he ran out of interesting stories about that, he began to tell Arthur all the stupid things Alfred has done.

That had been entertaining for Arthur until Alfred had walked into Matthews office right as Arthur began to laugh loudly at an embarrassing story from the early hundreds, causing all of them to pause. Arthur had felt uncomfortable as Alfred stared at him, eyes saying things he couldn’t understand. The look lasted far too long, but as soon as Alfred tore his gaze away to yell at Matthew for sharing stories he promised not to talk about, Arthur felt himself wishing to have Alfred look at him like that again. 

He didn’t understand it, so he pushed it aside.

Arthur wasn’t yet allowed to join Matthew on his trips, his wings healed but not yet strong enough for that long of a journey, so when he was gone Arthur would spend his time assisting Toris and learning more about what Alfred did. 

It meant longer nights in Alfred’s study, helping keep the unsurprisingly messy demon organized. 

And with Arthur still getting used to a sleep cycle, as Below has an almost-day and basically-night (as Alfred called them), it was obvious he would accidentally fall asleep in Alfred’s office.

The first time it happened he’d woken up on Alfred’s couch the next morning, shocked to see the demon sitting at his desk and wondering how he’d gotten to the couch (and when he’d fallen asleep).

The next time he’d woken up screaming and sobbing at something he couldn’t remember. 

All he knew is it was dark and lonely, so so lonely. 

And then there were hands on his shoulders, a hand running through his hair, a voice calling out, and he wasn’t alone.

And then he was awake, and it was dark-- _ dark _ \--but then there was light and he opened his eyes and he saw blue.

His breaths were shaky and fast, shuddering with the weight of tears and memories. He couldn’t stop looking, looking into the wide expanse of blue, with a brow furrowed in concern. He couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was calmed.

As awareness dawned upon him, the memories faded and faded and the blue expanse narrowed into eyes and Arthur was awake.

“-Come on, say something, what’s wrong, wake  _ up- _ Arthur-”

“Alfred.” His voice was hoarse, causing him to blink in surprise. He didn’t realize he’d been screaming enough to scratch up his voice. 

Either way, the one word was obviously enough to calm Alfred, as he sat back on his keels and ran a hand through his hair. “You okay?”

When Arthur nodded, Alfred seemed to relax even more. “You were screaming.”

Arthur looked down, finding his hands clenched in a blanket (when had that gotten there?). “I’m sorry if I disturbed your work-”

Alfred frowned reaching forward to rest his hand atop Arthur’s. “Don’t apologize. Nightmares aren’t something you can help, I should know.” Alfred laughed, as if such a thing were silly.

He wanted to ask what the  _ King of Hell _ could possibly fear enough to have nightmares about, but Alfred beat him to the punch, “Have you had any other nightmares since Falling?”

Letting his gaze fall past Alfred, he sighed, “One. But it was different- in that one I was back Above and the Pedagogues had gotten me-” He broke off, not wanting to think about what could have been. He felt Alfred’s thumb brush his hand, and he continued, “But this one… It was dark and empty and it hurt and-” He stopped again, finding himself getting lost in the memory. “It was familiar, but at the same time I don’t know why. I can’t remember anything that actually happened.” He stopped again, unsure of how to go on.

They sat in silence for a minute, but before it could become oppressive, Alfred spoke up, “Do you think it is a memory?” Alfred hesitated, “You told me once that angels no longer got to keep the memories of their lives. That’s something that’s changed since the last Fallen. But, maybe, because you’re a demon now, the memories aren’t locked away anymore?”

Arthur absorbed the information, taking in this new possibility. He frowned, “Alfred, it  _ hurt _ . If my human life made me feel like that I don’t think I want to remember.”

He shifted, sitting up fully, causing Alfred’s hand to fall away. He didn’t know why he mourned the loss of its warmth so much, but he didn’t reach for it again. That wasn’t his place.

Alfred shrugged and said, “Well, your memories have been locked away for centuries, right? You were an angel for a decent amount of time, maybe the memories themselves aren’t painful, but the act of remembering is?”

Sighing, he pulled at a thread on the blanket, “I hope that’s the case.”

 

\---

 

“Sit up straight, honey.”

“Yes, Mother.” He spoke softly as he adjusted his position in his seat, arching out his back a little more. 

“You need to make a good impression. They’re a very well-off family, and Lord Persabole has numerous connections. His daughter has many suitors, and it’s very good news they’re willing to meet with us, do you understand?”

“Of course, Mother.” Arthur did understand. He didn’t enjoy it, but he’d seen the young Lady Persabole at a few balls before, and she seemed like a fine young lady. He was lucky he had this chance, and he would not waste it. Not if he wanted to make his parents happy. 

“And after this meeting, if it goes well, your father said he would show you are the company again. Alistair is willing to let you take control over a small portion. Do not mess this up, Arthur.”

He wouldn’t. There really was no way he could, with all of the preparation his mother had been drilling in his head for weeks.

Being the third son was never easy, and being the youngest overall made it more difficult. But the opportunity he had today was not worth passing up. 

When the Persabole’s arrived, Arthur was the perfect gentleman. Polite, charming, and he made sure to mention the family business; enough to remind Lord Persabole of their old money, but not too often as to come across as gloating.

And when the Persabole’s left, Arthur’s mother preened and praised him, and Arthur knew he had done right. 

The young Lady Persabole had giggled at his few jokes, and she had looked rather stunning in her dress. Arthur knew enough about women’s fashion to know it was new, fashioned after the current popular French style. She was putting her best foot forward, meaning Arthur was likely going to be able to start courting her.

And yet, that night, after being shown more of the family business- finally being fully integrated and accepted- Arthur laid awake in his bed, wondering why he’d kept staring at the Persabole’s kind coachman when he’d walked them to and from their carriage. 

He’d kept staring at the man’s beautiful hair and sharp features, to the point of nearly causing a faux-pas. 

But he’d caught himself in time, redirecting his attention to Lord Persabole’s words. 

Why had he kept staring? Why did he have to force down fleeting thoughts of a different life? Why couldn’t he be happy with what he had- what he was getting? Why-

 

\---

 

He gasped awake, yanking at the blankets that were wrapped around and trapping him, trying to breath, to  _ remember where he was- who he was- where-  _

_ Why does it hurt so much- _

“Hey, woah, Arthur, you’re okay, you’re good. Breath, come on-”

A familiar voice washed over Arthur- yes, that’s his name- grounding him. “Where-”

“You’re in your room, in the palace, Below, it’s okay, come on, breathe, you’re okay, you’re here-”

Yes. The palace. Below. He fell, he was an angel, he  _ died how did he die,  _ “I’m dead, I died, Alfred, how did I die?” He looked up, finally aware of where he was, who he was, but suddenly, the question was burning him alive. 

“I don’t know, I’m sorry. Arthur, are you okay?”

Arthur could feel his heart pounding in his ears, almost obscuring Alfred’s voice, but he nodded anyways. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling the wetness of his tears as he tried to control his breathing. “I think,” he began, before his voice left him. He took more, slower breaths,  as he tried again, “I think I remembered parts of my life this time…” He trailed off, lost in the memory.

It was only one day of his life, and it only brought more questions.

Alfred, however, seemed hesitant, “That’s good right? Maybe these nightmares will start to go away now that the memories are staying.” He paused, before letting out an awkward chuckle, “And then maybe I can go back to sleeping in a bed and not on your couch.”

Arthur huffed, letting Alfred’s attempts at lightening the mood wash over him, “You’re the one who insisted on sleeping in my room so I don’t have to wake up alone after the nightmares. I told you I’d be fine.”

A snort, “Yeah, sure you would.” Alfred stood up, stretching his arms before plopping himself on Arthur’s bed. He tucked his feet under him as he looked towards Arthur. “What did you remember?” 

Sitting up as well, Arthur pulled at the blanket on top of him, “It was just one day, but my mother was preparing me to meet a young girl, and after, my father showed me parts of the company. I don’t… really remember most of it.” He frowned, “It was so clear just a second ago, but it’s fading again.” Blinking he tried to rack his brain for  _ anything.  _ “I had siblings, I think, and a brother. His name was- His name was…” He trailed off, clutching at his arms as he realized the memory was gone again. 

Alfred rested a hand on Arthur’s, “Who was the young girl?”

“I don’t… know. I think I was supposed to marry her? I can’t- I don’t-”

“Hey, it’s okay. You’ve remembered more than you have yet, that’s a start.” Alfred looked away from Arthur, brow creasing. He then straighten, smiling, “Hold on!” He got up and ran over to the door, opening it and poking his head out. Arthur watched as he yelled out at someone in the hall, but he couldn’t hear what he was saying. Alfred stood there for a minute, before calling out a quick “Thank you!” and closing the door.

As Alfred approached the bed, he held out a pad of paper and a pen. “Here, write down as much as you can remember, so you don’t forget it later. And then you can reread it and stuff.”

He blinked down at the paper. Frowning, he realized it had all left him. “I can’t remember any of it anymore.” He hated the way his throat got tight, feeling his face burn with shame. He pulled his wings tight against himself, shifting uncomfortably as he waited for Alfred’s disappointment. 

It was embarrassing.

It was his own life and he couldn’t even remember any of it. 

Alfred sighed, “Well, I still remember what you told me.” He began scribbling words down as he continued, “Next time, just tell me all you can remember and I’ll writing it down as soon as possible, okay?”

Arthur nodded, plucking at the blanket, “Can I read what you just wrote down?”

He dutifully handed over the paper, and Arthur squinted down at the words. 

_ Brother. A family company. Marrying a young girl. _

He set the paper down and rubbed at his head, “I think it’s giving me a headache.”

“Well,” Alfred picked up the paper and pen, setting it at the desk next to his bed, “Maybe it’s because you’re trying to remember?” 

Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but couldn’t get any words out before he yawned loudly. 

A soft laugh, “Well, maybe you should go back to sleep.” Alfred got off the bed, walking back over to the couch, “You always seem more tired after your nightmares.”

 

\---

 

Alfred never thought he’d fall for someone. 

Romance had always seemed foreign and weird to him, but then that little Fallen had stolen his heart. 

He found pride in getting a smile out of Arthur, he loved watching him focus on organizing to the point of being completely unaware. He found himself neglecting his work so he could go talk to him. He loved to tease Arthur, to argue with him and talk with him about nonsensical things. 

He felt his heart ache every time he heard Arthur’s screams and sobs as he was ripped awake from a nightmare. 

It hadn’t taken long for Alfred to realize he’d do anything for Arthur. He even slept on the demon’s couch so he could help him when he had a nightmare.

_ Him _ . The King of Hell, sleeping on someone’s couch in their room.

He was so in love with Arthur, it was amazing the other hadn’t noticed. 

But, perhaps that was for the best. As Arthur’s memories returned, Alfred learned he’d been preparing to get married before he’d passed away. Arthur never seemed to remember much about the woman, but as he gained more and more memories it was obvious he’d soon begin to remember who exactly she was. 

Alfred didn’t know if Arthur loved her or not, but he was nervous. What if Arthur had fallen in love with this woman? She was obviously dead by now, likely just another angel or demon or a soul resting in one realm if she wasn’t picked to wake up as either. But for Arthur, he would be remembering her all over again. 

He knew enough about the mourning process to know it would be hard; he wouldn't be an asshole and try to make a move while Arthur was getting over both falling in love and losing her all over again. 

_ Fuck _ ,  _ why can’t anything be easy for me? _

Nonetheless, Alfred would stand by his side and assist him. As a friend. 

Alfred liked when Matthew went away on trips. Because, even when his brother took a carriage, Arthur would stay behind because his wings were still healing- no, he wasn’t nervous that Arthur only had, like, a week left until they were perfectly healed- and it was nice to have Arthur rummaging around his office. 

The demon was obsessed with trying to organize the study, and it was slow going with the millennia of papers shoved in un-ending shelves and filing cabinets. 

It was cute to watch him fuss over the nonsensical pattern to it all. 

“Alfred.”

He'd gotten used to the stern and overly exhausted sigh Arthur would give him each time he started another drawer.

“Yes?” He knew his voice was tinged with just enough overly-sweet innocence to make Arthur even more mad.

“What went through your mind when you decided to put these files together?”

Alfred laughed and stood, walking over to the cabinet. He looked down at it, scrunching his nose at the thick layer of dust covering everything, “Man, I don’t think I’ve touched these since Rome was still a major world player!” He picked up a folder, opening it, only to have an almost comedic cloud of dust hit him. 

Leaning away, he coughed quickly, only to frown as it lingered in his chest, coughing again, he forced the dust out, feeling the tickle in his throat disappear. He turned back to Arthur, ready to joke about how old the files were, when he saw Arthur’s face. 

His face was pale and his eyes were opened wide, and before Alfred could ask him what was wrong, he flinched, hands flying up to cover his face. 

“Arthur-” Alfred began to speak, but stopped dead as Arthur let out a low, desperate whine and began to dig his hands into his hair. His wings were fluttering uselessly behind him. Alfred was frozen in place, unsure of what to do, how to help, but when Arthur repeated the sorrowful noise, he jolted forwards, running his hands up to try and pull Arthur’s out of his hair. He started speaking softly, repeating the same gentle nonsense he would use to pull Arthur out from his nightmares.

_ Hopefully this isn’t anything worse than those. _

Still whispering to him, Alfred untangled his hands from his hair and began to lead him backwards, moving towards the couch so Arthur could sit. They didn’t make it more than a few steps before Arthur collapsed, legs giving out as he slumped onto the floor. 

Alfred went with him, hesitating only for a second to pull the distraught man into his arms. 

“Arthur, listen to me, you’re okay. Come on, look at me,” He pulled away, just slightly from Arthur, trying to catch his eyes. The demon looked up, and Alfred felt his heart tear at the sight of his tear-streaked face. 

“I- I think- I think I got really, really sick- I don’t-” Arthur choked out, before flinching at something only he could see and shoving his face back into Alfred’s chest as he whimpered. 

Tightening his grip, Alfred let out a shaky breath, “You got sick?” 

Arthur nodded against him, still desperately trying to catch his breath through his tears, “I think so- I don’t know how but, I guess, I think- I-” 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Breath. You don’t have to remember it all right now.” Alfred felt his hands begin to shake, and quickly he tightened them into fists to stop it. 

It wasn’t the time for him to act like that. 

They were silent again. Arthur didn’t try and speak, and Alfred didn’t try to make him. They just sat there on the floor, Alfred holding Arthur closer and closer as his cries began to subside. 

 

\---

 

Things got better from there. 

Arthur’s memories began to return, still, but they were less painful. At night, Alfred wasn’t jolted awake by pained screams and sobs. 

As his memories began to stay in his mind, he was also able to start flying again. 

And if Alfred hadn’t fallen for him already, he most certainly would have at the sight of him flying around for the first time in nearly two months. His face was alight with pure joy, and his heart melted at the lighthearted giggles that erupted from the man as Alfred caught up to the fast demon. 

As Arthur’s memories stopped causing nightmares, Alfred realized he could finally go back to sleeping in his room, in a bed. 

Alfred also realized he didn’t want to.

Not to say he wanted Arthur’s nightmares to come back, because he really did not want that, but he’d gotten used to the sounds of Arthur breathing and shifting across the room.

His first night back in his room was a long, sleepless night. 

When he saw Arthur the next day, he was surprised to see signs of a sleepless night on him as well. 

He only asked about it after Arthur was about to leave his office once he’d dropped off papers from Matthew. “Did you sleep alright? Anymore nightmares?” 

Arthur looked up at him, dark lines etched under his eyes, and he shrugged, “I didn’t have any nightmares, no. I didn’t remember anything new, either.” 

The two of them didn’t talk as often anymore. They saw each other less when Matthew was in the palace, and because Arthur wasn’t in Alfred’s office to be a distraction, he could at least get work done. 

When he wasn’t thinking about Arthur, that is.

So really he never got work done. 

Barely a week after he stopped sleeping on Arthur’s couch, Alfred was sitting in Matthew’s office, late at night, arms thrown over his eyes as he groaned loudly, “What do I do?”

Matthew only laughed, “Tell him, I keep saying, I’m  _ pretty sure _ it’ll go well!”

“No!” Alfred bolted up, huffing and flopping back down as he saw Matthew’s annoyed expression, “I couldn’t do that to him. What if he still-”

“-Feels for that girl, I know. You’ve only told me like a million times.” 

“Because it’s all I can think about!”

“What is all you can think about?”

The two brothers both jolted, whipping towards the door to see Arthur holding a coat tight to himself with shaking hands. Alfred recognized the pale face and too-wide eyes right away, jumping up and moving towards him, already asking, “Are you okay? Was it another nightmare?”

Arthur looked away, “I’m fine, I just couldn’t sleep and wanted to see if Matthew had any work-”

“We all know that’s bullshit.” The two of them blinked and turned to see Matthew, standing up with his arms crossed. “You know what? I’m tired for being your guy’s middle-man. You both never listen to my advice anyways. Just  _ talk _ to each other.” He pushed through them, stepping out the doorway and leaving his office. 

It was rare to see the demon like that, all huffy and upset, but Alfred could admit that  _ maybe _ he was whining a little (all the time) to Matthew. 

But why did he imply that Arthur also complained to Matthew?

When Alfred looked back at Arthur, the pale, stricken look had been replaced with a bright red fire of embarrassment. 

Taking a deep breath, Alfred decided to lead the conversation, “Are you okay? Really?”

Glancing down again, Arthur shrugged, “It was just a nightmare,” He looked up quickly, trying to reassure Alfred, “But it wasn’t as bad as they used to get. It was really just a bad dream.”

“So you’re good?” It often took multiple promptings to get the truth out of Arthur, and he wanted to be sure. He didn’t like the burn in his chest when he thought Arthur was hiding away his feelings. 

At Arthur’s nod, Alfred smiled, “Awesome!”

Arthur shuffled, before furrowing his brow and looking up at Alfred, “Why were  _ you _ in here so late?”

Feeling the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks, Alfred found a sudden and intense interest on Matthew’s desk, “I, uh, I just couldn’t sleep.”

His words didn’t seem to be convincing, and Arthur shifted forward, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Alfred laughed, loud and sharp, and he quickly regretted it as Arthur stepped backwards. “I- no, I just haven’t dreamt at all in, shit, like centuries? Maybe even millennia.” Alfred’s wings ruffled, and he shrugged, “I think I just ran out of things to dream about.”

“That doesn’t sound… fun?” Arthur’s voice was hesitant, unsure of if he should give his sympathies or congratulate him. 

“It’s whatever, I guess.” 

They were silent for a second, and just as Alfred was going to start rambling to fill the silence, Arthur asked a soft, “What would you want to dream about? If you could?”

_ You. _

He blinked, unsure of where the thought came from. 

It would be nice, though. Now that he had the image in his head, he almost wished he still dreamt, so he could live in a world where Arthur maybe, just maybe liked him back.

_ Just tell him, you fucking idiot. _ Matthew’s voice rang through his head again, tinged with annoyance and impatience. 

Honestly, Alfred was starting to be convinced it would be the better option. Every time he was close to Arthur, the urge to confess grew red hot inside him. Even if it made him feel like a teenager wanting to ask someone to prom, he almost liked the giddy feeling.

Oh, what the hell.

“Arthur? Can I tell you something?”

Arthur frowned, “Are you going to answer my question?”

Feeling a shy smile creep onto his face, he let his eyes meet Arthur beautiful green ones, “In a way, yeah.”

“Cryptic.”

Clenching and unclenching his hands, he realized he had no idea what to do with his arms. He wanted to hug Arthur, to hold him, but he couldn’t do that right now. Instead, he shoved them into his pocket as he breathed in, “Okay, just, remember that no matter what I say and how you feel about what I say it won’t, like, affect your position here in the palace and stuff.”

Frowning, Arthur spoke slowly, “Alright?”

“I’m falling in love with you.” 

Arthur’s eyes widened and he took a step back, and Alfred suddenly realized he may have ruined a perfectly good friendship. Giving Arthur a shaky smile, he tried to conduct damage control, “You don’t have to return the feelings or whatever, we can still be friends and all. I just kinda  _ really _ needed to get that off my chest, so, yeah. I’m kinda falling for you,” He shrugged, letting out a small huff of laughter at the irony of his words. 

Arthur was still staring at him, shock and confusion written all over his face. It was clear he was trying to figure out how the answer, and every second they stood there in silence he could feel his chest begin to ache. 

Opening his mouth, Arthur managed to choke out a whispered, “Why?” 

The words left Alfred’s mouth before he could stop them, “Why not?”

Distress morphed Arthur’s features, and Alfred began to backpedal, “I don’t really have a concrete reason, Arthur, I just love being around you and talking to you and I want to see you happy and-” He cut himself off with a laugh, “I don’t think I need a reason to love you. I just do.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets, knowing if he didn’t do that now he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from trying to hold Arthur. 

They stood there in silence a bit longer, and it quickly became clear Arthur couldn’t understand what was going on (and if the realization that Arthur didn’t know what Alfred saw in him didn’t hurt, Alfred didn’t know what would). With an only-slightly forced smile, Alfred stepped back, “I can go, let you think? I don’t need an answer now, or soon, really. I mean, we’re basically immortal. I can give you some time?” He didn’t  _ want  _ to, of course. He really, really wanted an answer now. The waiting would kill him, but he would do it. At this point, the confession wasn’t about  _ him _ . 

When Arthur continued to look at him confused, he smiled and turned towards the door, “Yeah, I’ll see you around, okay?”

“No.” 

Freezing, Alfred turned around, “What?”

“You can’t just- Just say  _ that _ and leave like it’s nothing!” 

“I didn’t want you to feel pressured-”

Eyes narrowing into a harsh glare, Arthur stepped close to Alfred, “You’re an idiot.”

He couldn’t help it when his eyes flickered down to Arthur’s lips, and when he quickly tore them away, he noticed Arthur’s gaze on his own. Leaning down, Alfred let out a soft breath, “Why am I an idiot?”

“You can’t just throw all those emotions on someone and try and run away.”

“No?” Alfred felt himself leaning down even more, getting closer and closer until-

Arthur stepped away, his emboldened and indignant anger fading back into awkwardness. No matter how much he wanted to, Alfred didn’t follow. 

“No,” Arthur affirmed. 

Letting his eyes catch Arthur gaze, he spoke up again, “If you don’t want me to leave, do you have an answer?”

Arthur’s eyes flickered away, and Alfred could almost see him building back up his walls, “You didn’t even ask me a question.” 

Biting the bullet, Alfred clasped his hands together, “I love you. Do you feel the same for me?”

Arthur’s hands fluttered up to the edges of his coat, grasping on and pulling it closer to him, “I think-” He stopped, taking a deep breath and gathering himself again. It was a habit Alfred realized Arthur did when nervous and unable to articulate himself as well as he wanted. He was trying to be patient, not wanting to pressure Arthur, but the longer his words settled around them, the faster his heart began to pound. 

Beginning again, Arthur’s voice rang out, “I think there’s a chance I may be falling for you, as well.”

He couldn’t help it--couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He stepped forwards, arms reaching around and resting at the base of his wings as he pressed Arthur tight against him in a hug. It wasn’t the first time he’d hugged Arthur or been this close to him, but it was so new- so different. New connotations behind how Arthur sighed and let his shaky hands tuck against his side, new meaning behind how he pressed his face into Arthur’s soft red hair, new significance to how tightly they began to hold each other. 

“That’s cool.” Alfred mumbled out, wanting to say something but unsure of what, instead just saying the first thing that popped in his head.

Not his best work, but the soft laugh from Arthur proved it just might be good enough.

And that was pretty nice. 

Alfred was the first to lean away, not removing his arms from Arthur’s back, but pulling his head away just enough to see the small, contented smile on Arthur’s face. It was enough to make his chest burn, but this time, coupled with the warmth on his face, it wasn’t a bad feeling. 

Clenching his fists into the material of Arthur’s coat, Alfred asked lowly, “Do you wanna kiss?”

Arthur’s face lit up, the same shade as his hair, and before Alfred could take back his words, Arthur nodded. 

Feeling a grin spread across his face, Alfred leaned down, barely noticed as Arthur scooted up onto his toes to reach. Slowly, ever so slowly, they met in the middle, pressing close. 

A low sigh was heard, and Alfred barely registered the low, desperate sound as his own. All he could focus on was the feeling of Arthur pressed close against him, hands curling in his shirt and wings fluttering behind him. 

Arthur pulled back, eyes unfocused and cheeks still flushed, as he laughed, “Yes, I do think I may have fallen for you.” He leaned up again, pressing close, and Alfred indulged in it a second longer, before guilt crept through him. 

The wash of cold made his pull away, a task made difficult by the needy sound Arthur made, but he persisted. He had to make sure. He had to ask, “Arthur?”

“What?” He huffed; Alfred felt himself grow a little bolder knowing he was upset at the lack of kissing.

It was a good sign, one he needed as he spoke again, “Did you love the woman you were engaged to?”

He was met with silence. 

Shifting uncomfortable, Alfred desperately tried to read Arthur’s expression, wanting to know if it was confusion or guilt or sadness written across his face. 

“Why would I-” Arthur started, before stepped back and saying, “What made you think that?”

“You were engaged, I just kinda assumed that you probably cared about her- I don’t, uh,” Alfred trailed off, suddenly realizing how silly he sounded, “If you were starting to remember someone you loved, it’s probably hard for you. And stuff. I don’t want to over step-”

“You are such an idiot.” Arthur hissed out, before he stepped close again, reaching a hand up to rest against Alfred’s collar, “It was an arranged marriage. And I think I spent more think looking at her coachman than I did her.” 

Alfred frowned, “Did you love him, then?”

“Are you serious-” Arthur curled his hand into a fist, pulling Alfred down and crashing their lips together. Alfred couldn’t say he was complaining, even if his body was still alight with embarrassment. 

“Is that a no?” Alfred mumbled out against his lips, smiling as he felt Arthur press harder against him in annoyance. The demon’s strong personality was returning to him, something that was sometimes hard to pull out of him, and yet the result was always worth it.

Alfred couldn’t wait to see how it would be transferred to their relationship. 

“That’s a definite no, Alfred.” 

He pulled away again, smiling brightly, “Okay, cool, because I just wasn’t sure and-”

“Please, do shut up.” Arthur huffed again as he pulled Alfred back down, kissing him firmly. 

He was quickly becoming addicted to the feeling of Arthur against him, and the brief realization that Matthew was right crossed his mind. Which was awesome, but it also sucked, because now he would be hearing about it  _ forever.  _ The outcome was definitely worth it, though. 

The kiss became awkward as Alfred began to grin, but they stayed together, holding each other tighter as Alfred whispered, voice now hoarse, “I’m very happy right now.”

“So am I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!!!! please please leave a comment and give kudos if you enjoyed!!! if you wanna request or see updates about me, my tumblr is @inkwells-writing !!!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!! this is the first of three chapters, and chapter two should be out soon (i just have to finish editing it!!)   
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated!   
> also, if you ever wanna request something or see more ramblings and whatnot from me, my tumblr is @inkwells-writing :D


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